interactionists theories of crimes and deviance Flashcards
why do they think it’s pointless to try identify the causes of crime?
-believe most people involve themselves in some sort of crime; pointless to try identify
-instead we should identify why some people are likely to be caught or labelled as “ deviant “
why might crime statistics be inaccurate?
-don’t reflect those who don’t get caught
-labelling is selectively enforced on people
-some people have more power to negotiate being labelled
what does Beckers labelling theory say?
-acts only become deviant when it’s been labeled as deviant
-depends on the reaction of society
-how it’s interpreted by others matter
what does Becker say on law enforcement?
-police use good judgement to decide who’s labelled as a criminal
-police might use stereotypical views
-don’t have resources to prosecute or label all crime
what does Becker say about deviant career/master status?
-once labelled as deviant they may accept it and see it as their “master status”
-becomes source of their identity in their eyes and others
-may then lead to further deviance and pursuit of a “deviant career”
what does Lemert say on primary deviance?
-deviance commited but not publically labelled as such e.g people may steal stationary from work or taking drugs but if not caught can’t be labelled as deviant
what did lemert say on secodnary deviance?
-occurs when a prsn has been publically labelled as deviant
- label may become their identity leading to more deviance e.g getting a criminal record as they commit more crime to survive
what did cicourel law enforcement say?
crime rates vary= size, organisation, policies and practices for juvenile and police bureaux can account for high rate areas
-employment of more juvenile officers and kept detailed records of offenders
what is the first stage of police labelling a crime?
-police decision to interrogate them if they look suspicious
-if the appearance fits the picture then they’re likely to be arrested
what is the 2nd stage of police labelling a crime?
-handing over to probation officer
-if suspect corresponds them likely to be arrested
why are the w/ c seen as criminals?
-hostile interactions
- stereotypical thoughts and views on them
why are the middle class less likely seem as criminals?
-respectable and from nice background
-parents can get them out of it
does cicourel believe that status frustration is the cause?
-no, he sees biasness in law enforcement processes
-certain individuals labelled and seen as deviant down to opinion
what does stanley cohen say about moral panics and deviancy amplification?
-moral panics are created by the media exagerration or imaginary threat to society(in periods of social change)
-agencies of social change may often responf to exagerrated threat presented to them in the media by pulling toegther to take harsher measures againist troublemaker
-police make more arrests and media creares more coverage
-people swept by exitmenet and cameras so deviance amplifies
what were the mods and the rockers?
-media exagerated minor acts of vandalism
-gave misleading impression of clacton being terrorised
-created moral panic
-police intervened making arrests (made young people identify with a certain sides and created a divison)
-news reporters paid people to cause fights
-MODS AND ROCKERS= had a fight, media would panic
-media predicted where fights would take place
-amplified the situation
